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God's Will and My Worldview

At times, we could all use "Jesus glasses" to view the world from God's perspective and bring priorities in better focus. In the lesson "God's Will and My Worldview," we heard from Saul who went through a big change in his worldview. Before Jesus brought him to faith, he looked at the world and saw people he thought should be persecuted and killed because of their faith in Jesus. Jesus met Saul in a vision, and he became blind for a time. When he could see again he saw life through "Jesus glasses." He could see that he needed to join those who were following Jesus and he needed to spread the word to all the world that Jesus came to save all nations from sin and death forever through his death and resurrection.

Thank you Greg Akins for your amazing portrayal of Saul (Paul)!

God's Will and My Response

What does it mean to welcome someone into your home? We might use a welcome mat to tell people who come to our home that we will respond with a welcoming attitude. When we greet them, we will ask them to come in and we will share our living space with them.

That's what Lydia did in the Bible! When Paul and other followers of Jesus came to her town, she welcomed them into her home and invited them to stay with her. She did this in response to the love of Jesus that she had experienced and the joy she felt for those who had shared the good news of Jesus' suffering and death for our salvation.

Like Lydia, we too are called by God to welcome people into our midst and celebrate the good news of Jesus with others. By our love, friendship and joyful attitude, we show others how grateful we are to God for sending Jesus to save us, and how excited we are that others get to know about him too!

Great job Kathy Davis with your portrayal of Lydia!

Food Pantry Donations

Our congregation is made up of very giving hearts! We have been collecting food for local high school pantries...food that will keep high school students nourished over the spring break. Unfortunately, many high school students would not have adequate food over the holidays without this service. Food has been delivered to both Lubbock High School and Coronado High School. Thank you deacons for sponsoring the food drive and delivering food. A special thank you also to Teresa Sparkman for bringing this need to our attention. Our church family is working in the community!

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

God's Will and My Identity

"I wonder if Gabriel hovered anywhere near Golgotha that fateful Friday afternoon. If he had, could you imagine what that captain of the angel armies would have seen? White Temple Mount, that usually shone with splendor in the sun, now dull and flat in the darkness of that afternoon. The bustle of the marketplace, oddly hushed in the heavy air. The hills of Bethlehem, off in the distance, where Gabriel had announced the birth of the Savior in the world to shepherds. The knot of people gathered around a garbage dump/executioner's hill simply known as The Skull. And there, between two who had deserved death, the Savior Gabriel had proclaimed. Jesus, nailed to a cross, with his mother Mary close at hand--I wonder, would Gabriel have recognized the young girl he called blessed and highly favored? That now seems so long ago--he would have seen Jesus, and Mary, and John, the beloved disciple by her side.

If Gabriel were looking down from the clouds that Good Friday afternoon he would have seen the horror. He would have seen the shame. He would have heard the jeering and the cries of pain. But that angelic messenger would have also recognized, with wonder, a small family, clinging to each other in grief and fear; a new family at the foot of the cross."

King David had a dream of building a big temple to God, where he and all the people of his kingdom could worship their Lord. That may have sounded like a good dream for David, but God had other dreams in mind for him. He had bigger dreams.

God's dream for David was that he would send a Savior through David's line. God's own Son, Jesus, would be born to Mary and Joseph, and Joseph was of the house of David. In our message on Sunday, God spoke through the prophet Nathan, portrayed by Scott Fanning. Nathan was sent to to tell David that his dream for the future was too small. David wasn't going to get what he wanted; but what God wanted to give was so much more than David had dreamed. Great job Scott bringing the message that sometimes we have to let go of the good WE want in order to receive the good GOD wants to give!

Join us next Sunday when the First Cumberland Presbyterian Youth will bring the message through Mary!

God's Will and My Inadequacy

Moses: "I didn't look like a hero, leaving sheep behind to call on Pharoah's court. Pharaoh didn't believe me; the people of Israel didn't believe me; I didn't believe me, either! But the Great I Am is greater than the gods of Egypt. The Great I Am is greater than my inadequacy. The Great I Am will accomplish his purpose, even when his people are weak and doubting, confused and rebellious, incompent and afraid. Like me. I learned firsthand that God can use inadequate people to do his saving work. The plagues took on the gods of Egypt one by one; these miracles came at God's Holy Word, through my poor voice. The lamb's blood covered over our houses, and the Angel of Death passed over, just as God promised. The Armies of Egypt were drowned in the waters of the Sea. I saw it all happen. I was part of it all. But never was I in control. It wasn't about me."

Great job Ken Smith with your portrayal of Moses!

Come join us next week when Scott Fanning will bring Nathan to life with "God's Will---My Dreams!"

"Thy Will be Done"

Please join us for a series of services for Lent entitled, "Thy Will be Done." Each service in the series focuses on a different aspect of God's will at work among us. Biblical characters (brought to life by members of our church family) are used as insightful reference points each week to guide us in following our Lord more day by day.

"Not as I will, but as you will," Jesus prayed to his Father the night before he went to the cross for our salvation. And that is our prayer as well this Lent as we seek to do God's will in our lives, as we draw near to the observance of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection during Holy Week.

Valentine Potluck

We had a wonderful time at our Valentine potluck on Sunday! We had delicious food and warm fellowship. We discussed our "passions" and created a list with input from everyone in the congregation. Below are the passions we have compiled thus far:

Continue to be in prayer about your passion as we begin the process of prioritizing and determining the paths God wants our church to follow!

Where is God leading us?

What a wonderful weekend we had at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Lubbock! Thank you T.J. Malinoski for the group sessions on Saturday, the message on Sunday, and the congregational meeting! Great discussions and amazing fellowship give us renewed hope as we explore "where God is leading us!"

Prayer

If you would like to submit a prayer request, please click below. Also indicate if you would like this request on our Sunday bulletin prayer list.